NEW YORK – John Beilein has never had a player taken in the first round of the NBA draft.

In less than 48 hours, he’ll likely have two of them.

Former Michigan guards Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. are both expected to be first round picks in Thursday’s annual NBA draft.

Burke is projected as a lottery selection, while Hardaway -- who could fall into the second round -- is viewed as a mid to late first rounder by a number of draft analysts. ESPN.com’s Chad Ford has both Wolverines going early Thursday -- Burke at No. 6 to New Orleans, and Hardaway at No. 25 to the Los Angeles Clippers.

For both players, it’ll be the night of a lifetime. For Beilein and his Michigan program, it’ll be somewhat of an infomercial -- as the Wolverines will get plenty of TV time and mention during the three-hour ESPN broadcast.

“It’s very exciting,” Beilein said recently when asked what it feels like to have a pair of potential first round picks in this week’s draft. “For us to have someone taken that early in the draft is a good thing for our program.

“Given the fact that we value how talented they were -- even if other people didn’t.”

Both Burke and Hardaway were undervalued coming out of high school. Hardaway was a three-star prospect, and was recognized more for his famous last name than anything else.

Burke, meanwhile, wasn’t even a top 100 player -- a former Penn State commit that almost no one wanted.

But after three years of tutoring Hardaway and two years of coaching Burke, Beilein has helped both players step to the edge of the game’s apex – the NBA.

Burke was the national player of the year last season, and Hardaway has wowed just about everyone with his work habits since declaring for the draft in April.

And both players’ success -- as well as the high-level success of Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III -- has already started to pay off on the recruiting trail, as Michigan is in talks with five-star prospects across the country. Players who want to be the next Burke, the next Hardaway.

Beilein -- who will be in Brooklyn with Burke and his family Thursday -- appreciates the extra exposure Thursday night’s draft will bring to his program, but more importantly, he’s happy that two of his own kids will get to realize a dream.

“I’m thrilled for them, I’m really thrilled for them,” “he said. There’s been a lot of sacrifice and dedication with all these families to get to this point.

“But it’s not about myself, I’m happy for them. I love these two young men, and I want what’s best for them.”